Plug-In Hybrids Outsell EVs in UK For First Time Ever in July

The Number of plug-in car registrations reached the second highest level ever in the UK in July and, at the same time, sales of PHEVs for the very first time exceeded sales for BEVs.

From 1,052 registrations 552 were PHEVs (up 89% year over year), while BEVs accounted for 500 (up 800% year over year).

We are of course curious which models did so well in July and we found out that the leader is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which must have more than 450 registrations!

“The arrival of the much anticipated Outlander PHEV is helping the company’s sales success. In July Outlander PHEV outsold all other vehicles which qualify for the governments Plug-in Car Grant, accounting for 43% of successful applications. This car has received huge levels of public interest, driven by the vehicle’s outstanding fuel consumption of 148mpg and low emission credentials – 44g/km.”

The British market is growing with more than 4,500 plug-in cars sold so far this year.

I think, the right term is BEV (Battery-only EV). BEV, PHEV, FCEV, …( you pick your letters and put them together).

Outlander PHEV is an outstanding practical car that is priced right; lots of room and still gets most of the miles electric. I guess, you can choose electric mode when inside crowded London city, to reduce inner city pollution.

Even in US, PHEVs are doing far better than BEVs. Just look at the rise of Toyota’s plug-in. Granted, much of that is driven by California’s HOV sticker policy. Most just buy the most practical car that gets them an HOV Sticker, and Toyota Prius PIP is a front runner in that.

Are you posting in the right article? What does the plug-in Pruis have to do with anything?

Don’t worry about Europe neither the regular Prius or the Prius plug-in is popular.
The Prius plug-in has 1% of total EV sales in Europe and more likely to lose even that marginal market share since PHEV’s of popular models are being introduced.

In Europe we tend to buy diesels for good mileage instead of hybrids and low AER plug ins.

Our cars are also increasingly fitted with stop/start which is a kind of very mild hybrid and decreases the fuel mileage differential with full hybrids.

I would disagree with Michael though, and I expect to see increasing interest in hybrids and mild plug ins as the full damage caused by diesel it taken on board and legislation and incentives increasingly reflect this.

With Paris half shut down during a period in the summer due to particulates, and London in line to incur heavy fines , and by heavy I mean in the hundreds of millions, the mood and likely the incentives are turning against diesels.

The Outlander PHEV costs around the same as the diesel version, and with an AER of around 22 miles will do perhaps 8,000 miles a year without using petrol if you drive it for more than 22 miles every day.
Of course, if you can charge it somewhere during the day then that goes way up, and a lot of charging stations are being installed.
Exemption from the London congestion charge is worth £10 per day for those who drive in central London

Not surprisingly the Outlander is popular, and it is about to be joined by a host of other cars mainly from the VW group with a similar AER.